All Tangle Up In Knots
by walleye
Summary: Eugene and Rapunzel are married and expecting their first child. However evil is a foot. The power of the light from the sun is still in Rapunzel and now it is in her child. She falls deathly ill and the palace wizard sends Eugene and Maximus on a mission to get the ingredients he needs to save her. Unfortunately a dragon owns them. M. Gothel is back but whose side is she on?
1. The Past

The Past

You all know the story – how the princess Rapunzel was saved from slavery to Mother Gothel by the thief Eugene's sacrifice and how her love saved him in turn with a miracle while the villainous Gothel vanished as she apparently fell to her death from the tower. Of course the lost princess and the thief were welcomed back home by her parents with open arms and within a year they were married to live happily ever after. But what you may not know are the secret parts of the story hinted at but never revealed and all these secrets are about to tangle our young married lovers all up in knots.

What are these secrets you ask? Well secrets are revealed by asking questions of the past. So let us ask. The first secrets concern the Flower of the Sun we saw at the beginning. If this flower could heal Mother Gothel and restore her youth by bathing her in its light, then why didn't the King use its light to cure the Queen and preserve the flower to use on all the needy people of the world? Were the King and Queen self-centered and thinking only of themselves just like Mother Gothel was accused of doing? If they weren't then why did the King destroy a flower which would benefit everyone if kept alive to create a one-time use potion? Then there is the potion itself. Who created it and why did it cross through the placenta walls and enter the Queen's unborn daughter? Why did it end up in her hair where it could be destroyed so easily instead of hiding inside her body where it could be protected?

Everything happens for a reason and to get answers to all these questions about the Flower of the Sun there is one person you'd have to ask and his name is Murherder, the King's Wizard. He is actually a sorcerer of the highest class who has devoted his life to studying the powers of the Flower of the Sun. He is the one who told the King what he had to do (I'm sorry. Wanted him to do) to save the Queen. He is the one who designed the potion to do what it did. Why? Sorry. Those are his secrets.

Murherder is also the one behind the recognition by the King and Queen as to who Rapunzel was when she turned up unannounced at their court. Instead of spending weeks proving whom she was she had instant recognition. It was a very simple spell which worked so well because all four of them wanted to believe it. He is also the one who erased everyone's animosity towards the thief Eugene who had caused a lot of anger and grief by his exploits in stealing from innocent people. It's to the sorcerer's advantage to have them all close.

Murherder is a silver-haired elderly gentleman with blue eyes, an average nose and chin and he appears in public with a black-feathered owl on his grey-cloaked shoulder. He always has a kind word for children and seems to be everyone's friend. He was not surprised at all by the new-born princess' affliction, but he was greatly surprised and very displeased when she vanished into thin air. He was enraged when his magic could not locate her or her abductor but he was only sorrowful and respectful in front of the distraught parents and ensured them he would try his best. He even suggested the floating lanterns to be released on her birthday and imbued them with his strongest search magic but he never caught a hint of her as Mother Gothel had secrets and powers of her own.

And what of Mother Gothel? There are questions surrounding her too. First, why did she keep the flower a secret? Was it selfishness as some claimed or were there other factors involved? And if she was as mean or selfish as she was portrayed to be then how did Rapunzel grow up to be such a nice person? You don't turn out nice if you are raised only experiencing meanness from your first awareness. And who taught Rapunzel to speak so fluently and to have such good manners? This took a lot of time, effort, and concern on Gothel's part. It seems when the girl was growing up Gothel whose name in German means God Mother truly acted as Rapunzel's godmother and put a lot of love into raising her. Why did she change to be such a villain later in the story? Was there some truth in Gothel's claim that Rapunzel's powers were why she had to be locked away as there were those who would use her cruelly? Was Gothel speaking from bitter experience? Did she know about Murherder and his plans for the girl? And how could Gothel keep her hidden so long but so near the palace and hide her from magic searches if she didn't have powers of her own? Well, it turns out that she did.

Mother Gothel seems like two women with different personalities sharing the same body and there is a horrible truth there. One woman cared deeply for Rapunzel as if she were her own daughter but the other sees her only as something to be used and protected at all costs. But can this matter if Gothel died from her fall from the tower? Did she?

Rapunzel and Eugene think everything is untangled in their lives now. Unfortunately it's all about to be tied up into knots with the secret strings from the past.


	2. Chapter 2 A Blessed Event

Eugene was dueling (not for real but practice) and he was sweating hard and swearing under his breath to himself as he went to retrieve his sword. He'd gotten in a couple of good blows but it was not going his way as it was the third time his sword had been knocked from his hand. He picked it up and growled at his opponent. "I'm going to get you this time. You wait and see."

Maximus, his opponent, just snorted. But what else could he do as he was a horse and he had a sword in his jaws. He couldn't help it if he was better than a puny human even if he had to hold his sword in his mouth but he had more power since he had all the strength of his neck muscles behind each of his blows. Besides Eugene was a wimp with a sword and Maximus was disgusted that he'd let the puny human even get in a blow.

Eugene yelled. "Yarrghh!" And charged with his sword flung back over his shoulder. If he could just get in close he could retrieve everything.

Maximus snorted in disgust at such amateurish behavior, stepped to the side and stuck out a hoof. There was a yell, a thud, and a cloud of yellow dust as Eugene's sword bounced away across the pitch causing the onlookers to wince and then the horse had his sword point against the prone Eugene's throat. "Snurff?" He asked with an evil light in his eyes.

Eugene said nothing. He was out cold. Maximus with a shake of his head withdrew to strut to the spectators' cheers as Eugene's chubby squire Dominick came forward to administer to his fallen master.

When Eugene regained consciousness he opened his eyes and saw his wife looking down at him with a concerned expression. He sat up in the bed. "Maximus won again, didn't he?"

"He certainly did, Eugene." Rapunzel replied as she applied a wet cloth to his head. She smiled. "You look worse than I do and I'm more than seven months pregnant."

He gently touched her stomach. "I know you had your checkup today. Is everything okay, with both of you?" He had not been allowed to attend; only her mother the Queen, the midwife, and the aged Castle Wizard Murherder had been allowed to be there. This exclusion had hurt and induced the frustration which had led to his reckless challenge of the castle champion, even if he was a horse.

"We're both fine." She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "The wizard gave me a potion to drink for the nausea I've been experiencing and everything should be alright as our daughter will be born in less than two months." She sighed. "I still can't choose a name between Mother's suggestion of Schein or Dad's suggestion of Elaina after my grandmothers' names."

Eugene grinned impudently. "I had hoped for a boy. We could have called him Eugene which is such a nice name."

"And it just happens to be yours." She said with a smile. "I'm glad the wizard told us the sex of the baby. It makes it easier to plan ahead." She frowned. "But I still can't choose between the two names."

He took her hands in his. "Well, whatever name the baby has, I'm sure she'll be loved by everyone as she has such a loving mother." She swatted him on the shoulder before they both leaned forward and kissed.

The wizard Murherder smiled at servants and nobles alike as he swept down the hall in his grey robes after leaving the examination room. He had a quite common face for a kindly old man and his hair fell in silver waves to just reach his shoulders. He held a white staff with gold bands in his right hand and a small owl with black feathers sat on his left shoulder. The smile vanished as soon as the door closed behind him and the owl flew off his shoulder and turned into a small black dragon.

"If you smile any longer, it's going to be frozen there forever." The black dragon remarked with a sneer.

The wizard spat out the window as if he could cast the smile with it. "I know. I know. For twenty five years I've had to smile at the inanities of all these royal idiots and never once tell them what fools they are. But don't worry, Shaedel, our time is nearly here."

The dragon raised an eyebrow. "You gave her the Yellow Death in her anti-nausea potion?"

The wizard grinned savagely as he reclined in his sofa chair, kicked his sandals off, and wiggled his tired and aching toes. "Just as I did her mother nearly twenty years ago and in six weeks she'll fall into an illness for which only I will have the cure."

Shaedel smiled evilly as he remembered that moment when the queen had sickened. "And this time there will be no escape for the light bearer."

"No. There will be no escape." The wizard started laughing. "That witch Gothel who caused us so much grief before has been eliminated from interfering this time as she was killed by that stupid Eugene. Thanks to his true love true evil is about to win the day forever." They both laughed so hard that tears came to their eyes. They wouldn't have laughed so hard if they'd known their assumption about Gothel was dead wrong.

The scene is a very familiar ancient tower hidden in a glen deep in the woods. At its base is a mound, the last resting place of Gothel.

The mound of dirt and leaves sparkled and then heaved upwards and split open as the dirt and leaves pulled back in waves to settle down to reveal a soiled, elderly woman with white hair, wrinkled and pock-marked skin, a hump on her back, and scrawny boney arms and legs who was sitting in the crater formed by the opening of the pile. She blinked and opened her eyes taking in her surroundings without comprehension. She looked down at the torn skirt and blouse she was wearing and shook her head. "What happened?" She asked in a voice that sounded as old as she looked.

"You failed the SSSisterhood is what happened." A voice hissed. "And paid for it by aging four hundred years in one minute. But in order to make sssure you sssuffered the rest of your life for your failure you didn't die." She looked up fearfully and a black snake nine feet long rose out of the grass to regard her with its cold yellow eyes. "You can ssstill sssave yourself." The snake shot out its tongue as if testing the air and then said coldly. "This time. There will not be a sssecond chance."

The old woman groaned and wiped her dirt-caked brow. "How can I do anything when I'm like this?"

The snake came closer and stared intently for a minute as it watched the old woman drool and then it sighed. "I hate to waste the light energy we worked ssso hard to gather, but I'm going to have to change you as you're right. You really aren't much use to us in this form."

Two bolts of light shot from the snake's eyes and struck the old woman, outlining her body in fire. She convulsed and as the fire ran along her limbs they refilled with flesh and muscle. Where the fire touched her hair the hair turned black and as it ran over the hump it sank out of sight. When the glow faded a very familiar forty-some woman stood there staring at her hands. "How did you do that?"

"That's not important." The snake replied. "Now what do you remember?"

The woman frowned as she considered the answer to this question. "My name is Gothel."

"Very good. Now do you remember who I am?"

She frowned again. "Schlange. Your name is Schlange."

The snake flicked out its tongue. "That'll do for now. Now do you remember what happened to the light bearer?"

Gothel stood there as images assaulted her mind of her charge Rapunzel with her glowing hair that had to be ten times as long as she was tall pleading for the life of someone that she loved. She also remembered part of her urging herself to grant this last request of the woman who had nearly been her daughter, a granting that the influence of the Sisterhood had twisted from one of generosity to enslavement. She remembered the young man cutting her daughter's hair and destroying her ability to be the light bearer. She also remembered that as she reeled from the punishment of the Sisterhood for her failure that part of her had tried to end their evil influence by causing her body to fall out of the tower, praying that she'd die. But if the snake heard that she had tried this its wrath would be terrible. Instead she told it what it wanted to hear.

"I got careless." She replied. "I had maneuvered the weakling girl into swearing slavery to us forever by allowing her to save the young man. My problem was that I did not realize the weak human had such cunning that he would cut her hair before she cured him so he could free her. He did not know he was destroying the light bearer we needed too."

The snake hissed. "No good deed, no matter how evilly intended, such as you allowing her to cure him, ever goes unpunished. But all is not lost. The SSSisterhood has determined that the light bearer will be reborn through Rapunzel's daughter in two months. If we take her we can convert her to the SSSisterhood's desires." It considered her coldly. "You know you were the reason we originally failed?"

Gothel looked away not wanting the snake to see what was in her eyes. "Yes. I fell in love with the baby and for twelve years I raised Ray as if she were my own child and hid her in the magic tower."

"Yes, you did." The snake hissed in anger. "And it took us all those years to regain contact. Fortunately for us those thugs attacked you in the woods one night, ssshowing you what mortal humans are really like and sssending you reeling back into our loving arms."

Gothel remembered with horror the men with magic defenses against her powers descending on her as she came back from the market with more paints for Ray and the pain of the beatings and the violations of her flesh before the Sisterhood had saved her, but they had taken her and twisted her soul so she could serve them. After that she had tried to save Ray from the evil of men by working with the Sisterhood. She said sorrowfully. "My re-awakening to the perfidy of men was too late as the light bearer was too old and it was too late for us to convert her to the next stage."

She hung her head. "It was my greatest failure but." She looked up with pride. "I still managed to feed the Sisterhood all the light energy I could harvest from the girl over the next seven years."

"Yes." The snake replied. "It was why you kept re-aging so fast after each dose that ssshould have lasted you sssixty years. The SSSisterhood appreciates your sssacrifices but it does not tolerate failures. Remember that."

"How could I forget such a thing?" She complained.

"Come." The snake commanded. "In two months the child will be born and we must claim her."

"Wait." Gothel looked down at her dirty clothing and skin. She knew she had to stink. "I need a bath first."

"Oh very well, but don't take too long." The snake coiled itself on a rock beside the river where it could keep an eye on her.

Gothel stripped down, washed her clothing, laid it on some bushes to dry, and dove into the river waters. She then scrubbed her hair and used sand scooped from small bars in the river to help scour the foulness from her body. Finally she floated there in the river waters for a time and wondered what in the hell she was going to do. Was the Sisterhood the only means left her to save Ray and her unborn child? And why did it seem there were other choices hidden now from her? She shook her head but it made things no clearer. She remembered some things from before the Sisterhood but her mind was still ensnared by them. She sighed in frustration. She really didn't have much choice but to do what the Sisterhood wanted for the moment. When she knew her clothing would be as dry as it was going to get she swam back to where the snake awaited. "Let's get started." She declared as she stepped into her damp skirt and then pulled her blouse on.


	3. Chapter 3 Illness

Rapunzel now in her eight month was standing beside Eugene and her parents watching the Captain of the Guard riding Maximus while leading the troops on parade for them, celebrating their first wedding anniversary while floating lanterns filled the sky overhead. She gasped and touched her stomach as the baby kicked her. "I'll be glad to get this overactive little girl out of here. It has to be soon as I feel awfully big right now."

Eugene nodded and said with a grin. "It looks like you have a watermelon in there."

She gave him a teasing look. "I think I'll speak to the wizard and have him do a spell so that next time you get to carry the baby." She poked him in his stomach with a savage grin. "Right in here."

He paled. "He can do that?"

She smiled. "I hope so." Her mother held a hand over her mouth and Eugene heard her giggle. The King pretended to ignore the exchange but a smile started to form.

Just then Rapunzel gave a gasp, followed by a cry of pain, and as Eugene wrapped his arm around her waist her eyes rolled up and she collapsed, almost pulling the two of them to the ground. There were shrieks and cries of horror. Over the tumult the King could be heard shouting for the doctor and the royal wizard. Maximus was there clearing a path through the crowd so that help could reach them.

The Queen knelt beside her daughter and gasped in horror as yellow splotches sprang up on the young woman's face. "She has the same illness that I had!" The crowd gasped in horror and the space around them widened as people stepped back.

Both the doctor and the wizard came pushing through the crowd led by Maximus and with Eugene's help they laid the Princess on the ground. Then while Eugene held her hand the doctor bent down and examined her as the wizard cast a spell to see what the cause was. The doctor looked up at the wizard who sadly shook his head. The Doctor turned to Eugene and said with grave concern in his eyes. "I fear the Queen is correct. It is the Yellow Death again."

"I concur." The wizard turned to the King. "Your Majesty, we must get your daughter to her bed right away so that we can treat her and make her comfortable."

Later Eugene stood there beside their bed watching his wife's slow and ragged breathing with desperation in his eyes. "Is there nothing we can do?" He asked her parents.

The King shook his head. "The last time our only hope was the Flower but it was destroyed to make the potion that cured her mother. There are no more Flowers." Her mother knelt by the bed and sadly held her daughter's hand. The little green lizard just gazed sorrowfully down from the bedpost.

"Your Majesty. I have good news and bad news." The wizard Murherder announced as he entered the room.

The King asked with hope lighting up his eyes. "What is the good news?"

The wizard held up a dark-colored vial at whose center a bright light glowed. "Some of the original Flower from which I made the cure still survived in my storage. I can begin making a new potion."

Eugene rose to his feet. Being a former thief he was a perpetual pessimist. "What's the bad news?"

The wizard regarded him solemnly. "I'm missing one key ingredient. I need the Sun Stone to catalyze the reaction."

"And where do we get this Sun Stone?" The King demanded. "I'll spare no expense to purchase one."

"That's the really, really bad news." The wizard replied. "It's part of the dragon Drin's horde and we need a thief to claim it." They all turned and looked at Eugene.

He swallowed. "I'll do it." The green lizard just shook its head.

Later Eugene was mounted on Maximus who gave him a look of disgust as he was carrying him only for Rapunzel's sake and Eugene looked down at the wizard. "I don't know why I can't take the army. After all it is a dragon."

"Because it is a dragon, is why." The wizard replied. "You take an army and he will surely notice and then you end up with fried horse and smoked you."

Eugene and Maximus looked at each other and swallowed. Eugene whispered. "I'm game if you are?" Maximus nodded his head and with the cheers of the people ringing around them they rode out of the castle.

The wizard smiled evilly knowing they would never return and patted the Sun Stone already in his pocket.


	4. Chapter 4 Seeking a Cure

Neither Maximus nor Eugene noticed Mother Gothel and the black snake following them as they rode down the forest trail just outside of town. When Eugene paused to consult the map the wizard had kindly supplied, the snake said as he watched Eugene scratch his head and Maximus looking disgusted as the trail was quite obviously marked. "The horse is way sssmarter than the thief."

Mother Gothel nodded solemnly. "Yes he is, but don't underestimate the thief like I did."

The snake hissed as he watched Eugene almost fall off as Maximus started to ride off and whacked Eugene's head against a low-lying branch. "They're going to need sssome help or we'll never get the SSSun SSStone."

Mother Gothel looked at herself. "I don't believe he's forgotten who I am and he's certainly not going to accept your help."

"Not in these forms they wouldn't. I agree." A cloud of smoke surrounded them and when it vanished it revealed a blond elf woman in Robin Hood green standing beside a dark-skinned, slender male elf dressed in black. "In these forms we ssshould be fine. Everyone loves elves."

"Really?" Mother Gothel asked with a frown. "I always found them to be untrustworthy."

The black elf shook his head. "Listen to how you sssound. I can't change your voice and Eugene will recognize it as sssoon as you speak. You go back to the palace and use your ssskills as a healer to keep Rapunzel alive until I get back with the ssstone. I'll go help these two idiots." He turned and ran down the trail.

Mother Gothel sighed. "What about your damned hissing?" She shook her head. "Well, it looks like Ray and I are going to be together again." She turned and began to run up the trail back to the palace, finding her new form was good for speed.

Eugene and Maximus looked up in surprise as the black elf joined them. "Hi." He declared. "I heard in town you were ssseeking the dragon Drin and I want to help you."

"And you are?" Eugene asked as he pushed his helmet back up on his head. Maximus just stared suspiciously.

"SSSorry." He tossed back his long black hair over his shoulder. He had the typical thin elf face, pointed ears and big black eyes. "I'm called Gladril Ortho Trenhel or just Gladril for ssshort and I am a dragon ssseeker."

"Seeker. Not hunter?"" Eugene asked.

Maximus hoped Eugene didn't remark on the poor elf's obvious speech impediment. Elves were very touchy about such things.

Gladril smiled. "There are no live dragon hunters as dragons always win. SSSo it's not a career path which lasts very long. I ssseek them for their knowledge and sssometimes we can make a trade for our mutual benefits."

"So, we don't have to fight this dragon to get the Sun Stone?" Eugene asked as he scratched his head.

"Nope." Gladril said with a smile.

Eugene and Maximus looked at each other. "I like this plan." Eugene declared. "I can get behind this plan."

Maximus nodded his head vigorously. Anything that didn't involve him being cooked with an apple in his mouth was fine by the brave steed, but he was still going to watch their new companion and he'd come prepared with an anti-magic locket he'd taken off some crooks he'd arrested. They set off down the trail together.

Mother Gothel arrived at the servants' entrance just as dark was falling. She wasn't going to use the main entrance as it was too heavily guarded and her detainment there would surely draw the attention of the wizard. She didn't trust him as far as she could throw him.

She waited quietly until a woman she recognized as the midwife came out the door. She was older than she had appeared the last time Mother Gothel had seen her which was nearly twenty years ago but that hooked nose was unmistakable.

She fell in beside the woman who had her shawl pulled up around her shoulders against the chill of the night. "You are the midwife to the princess, are you not?"

The midwife snorted. "Yes. And to her mother before her. And you be?"

"Forgive me. As you can see I'm an elf. My name is Missrel and I hear you are in need of a healer who can treat the Yellow Death."

The midwife stopped and starred at her. "And you can cure this affliction?" The skepticism was heavy in her aged voice.

Mother Gothel sighed sadly. "There is only one cure for the Yellow Death and that is a potion derived from the Sun Flower itself. No. I have no cure. Just remedies and methods to relieve pain and hold death back for a while until such a cure can be found."

The midwife grabbed her hand and squeezed it hard as she hissed. "And of course you need gold to cross your hand before you reveal these remedies."

Mother Gothel shook her head. "I only ask a roof over my head and to be allowed to help the poor child."

"Come." The midwife tugged on her hand. "She is resting poorly and needs any help she can get." She led her back through the gate, explained to the guards this was her new assistant, and it was just that easy to get in.

Mother Gothel reflected that after several hundred years she understood humans and their weaknesses and their strengths well enough that force was only to be used as a distraction at best. Twenty minutes later she was standing beside the princess' bed and when she saw Ray she thought she herself would be ill.

Ray was burning up with fever and thrashing on her bed while the attendants tried to restrain her. "Here now." Mother Gothel cried. "Put a bite stick in her mouth so she doesn't bite her own tongue off." When none was proffered she stuck the side of her own hand into Rapunzel's mouth and refused to cry out when Ray bit down so hard that she drew blood and her teeth ground against bone.

With a look of disgust the midwife procured the stick and they managed to put it in the girl's mouth. Mother Gothel quickly wrapped her bleeding hand in a cloth and called out. "We need willow bark tea to break the fever and syrup of the poppy to dull her pain."

"Get them." The midwife hissed. "And notify that idiot doctor that he's needed." When they hesitated she snapped. "Quickly, you fools." They scrambled to obey.

Mother Gothel crawled up on the bed and wrapped her arms around the sick woman who had once been her adopted child. "It's alright, Ray. Mother is here now. It'll be alright, baby." She crooned to her as she cried and tears ran down her cheeks.

And she continued to hold her repeating these words over and over like a prayer while she restrained the distraught mother to be and in that moment through the golden light of love still burning inside Rapunzel the bindings the Sisterhood had placed on her failed and Gothel began to remember who she really was and what her original purpose was.

In the meantime the wizard alerted by a magic spell examined Rapunzel's condition from afar. He nodded. "With the help she's getting she'll survive the night. I'm going back to bed." With that he blew out the candle.

After a while Rapunzel quieted and when the willow-bark tea was offered she didn't resist when they made her drink some. In another half hour her fever eased and she started to fall asleep but when they tried to separate the two they found Rapunzel's arms were locked tight about the woman holding her and she wouldn't let go.

The doctor arrived and after he had checked her out he agreed with all that Missrel had ordered and he made up the mild solution of the poppy to be administered if the pain became too much again. "I'll be glad to work with a healer who knows so much." He said as he squeezed Mother Gothel's shoulder. "I'm glad you were here." They left the two of them together.

During the night Rapunzel cried out softly in her sleep. "Mommy, I'm hurting."

Mother Gothel whispered in her ear. "It'll be okay, Ray. I'm here."

"I had a bad dream, Mommy." She whispered back. "I dreamed you hated me and wanted to hurt me bad."

"I had the same nightmare, child. But don't worry as the part of me that loves you never really left. Now sleep and we'll talk later." There was a sigh followed by soft snoring.

Mother Gothel remembered everything now and she hated what she'd become after her rape which she now suspected had been created by the Sisterhood to reclaim her. As a result to protect the one she loved she'd almost destroyed the one she loved. Her chin lifted defiantly. She had made her decision. The Sisterhood could go hang. All that was important was Ray and her child. She kissed her girl's forehead and cuddled her head against her chest, singing a lullaby just as she had when Ray was five.

Eugene stared at the cave entrance from which a column of grey smoke was pouring. "It looks like he's cooking a late dinner. Maybe we should wait." Maximus snorted in disgust at such stupidity.

The black elf sniffed the air sticking his tongue out. "I think he's already eaten. I can sssmell baked mutton."

"Baahha." A white sheep with a black face staggered out of the cave mouth and down the hill. As it passed Eugene noted that its wool smelled a little scorched and its eyes were crossed.

Maximus led the way into the cave mouth as they walked down the stream that flowed out of it. A little way further in and the stream vanished into a hole in the wall. The way became drier and they started seeing lights in alcoves along the walls. Statues of centaurs or fauns appeared in some of the alcoves and in others there were paintings of forests and mountains. In one there was a painting of a black dragon with red wings.

"Like all his kind Drin has a lot of ssself pride." The elf remarked.

They arrived at a large wooden door with a purple pull rope. An arrow pointed at a book on a table and a placard above the book proclaimed. 'Sign in here and pull cord'. Another sign said. 'All trades considered'.

Eugene took the pen attached to a wire and signed his name. He offered it to the elf who declined. "It's your trade not mine."

"Are you sure?" He asked. "Maybe he has something that could help your speech impediment."

The elf frowned at him. "What ssspeech impediment?"

Maximus snorted in disgust and seized the pull rope in his mouth and tugged. There was a large 'Gong' sound which echoed and re-echoed.

"Come in." A deep voice roared. The doors split in two and swung inward to reveal descending stairs lit up by glowing bulbs set into the walls. As they hesitated the deep voice rumbled. "Either come in or just go away as I'm finishing my roast lamb."

"Let's go." The black elf said and started down the stairs.

Eugene felt a tug on one of the sword hilts sticking out of his belt and felt it jerked away. He looked up to see Maximus with the hilt gripped tightly in his teeth. The horse bobbed his head urging him onward. With a sigh Eugene drew his other sword and followed the black elf.

They descended a long way down and out of curiosity Eugene put a hand out towards one of the glowing bulbs. To his surprise he felt no heat. The only sound was the clip clop of Maximus' hooves on the stone stairs as they went down, down and down and then they were walking on a marble floor of a huge room.

Lights sprang up all around them revealing a black dragon with red wings getting up from a stone table with steaming bones piled on it and for a moment he paused to pick his teeth. Behind him a huge pile of treasure gleamed in the light revealing vases, jewels, chests, wands, staffs and hundreds of other objects. "What a hoard." Eugene exclaimed.

The dragon laughed deeply. "Hoard? You might call it that but it's my merchandize." He pointed up at a large sign which read. DRIN'S PAWN SHOP. NO DEAL TOO SMALL OR TOO LARGE. He leaned forward still towering over them. "Now what can I do for you gentlemen this fine evening? Make it quick as I grow bored easily."

Eugene felt a shove in his back as Maximus pushed him forward with his nose. The sword pricked him. "Hey, watch it." He growled over his shoulder and received a snort from Maximus. He turned back to the waiting dragon. "We're here to acquire a Sun Stone." Interestingly the elf gestured and Maximus pranced back beside the elf who grabbed his reins which strangely Maximus tolerated although he rolled his eyes.

"Interesting." The dragon replied looking bored. "I get little call for them. Why do you need one?"

"Our wizard needs it to create a life-saving potion for my wife and our unborn daughter to cure her of the Yellow Death." Eugene informed him.

Drin frowned. "For that to work you need the essence of the Flower of the Sun." He smiled. "You could purchase almost everything here with that one item and so I am assuming you have it." He rubbed his hands together. "All right. What do you have to trade?"

"One intelligent horse who's been ssspelled and a ssstupid thief who's wanted for ssstealing from every pawn shop within a hundred miles." The black elf said with a grin as he stepped forward holding out the reins in one hand and pressing his sword point into Eugene's back.

With a snort of rage Maximus reared up as if the spell didn't exist which with the locket in his saddlebags it didn't and slammed the flat of his sword blade down on the black elf's head. The elf collapsed and then his disguise dissolved into nothingness, leaving an unconscious black snake on the marble floor.

"Now you've got my complete attention and I'm no longer bored." Drin declared as he loomed over them with smoke pouring from between his jaws.

In the morning Mother Gothel gave Rapunzel some more willow bark tea and then fed her charge some broth laced with the right combination of herbs that she knew would reawaken her temporarily. It was a risk but Ray had to be aware as she needed her help if she was going to save her and the unborn child. She stroked the girl's hair. This illness reminded her so much of the time little Ray had caught that terrible fever and had almost died when she was five as her new powers had raged inside her unavailable for use before settling permanently in her hair.

She was removing the spoon for the last time when Rapunzel's eyes opened. She looked puzzled for a moment before her eyes focused and she said coldly. "Hello, Mother. I thought that was you I heard last night." She scooted back in the bed ready to shout.

Gothel looked down and with shock realized her disguise was gone. She waved her hands trying to calm her daughter down. "Ray, it's not what you think. I'm here to help you and your daughter. I just saved both your lives."

"I don't believe you." Rapunzel hissed. "The last time I saw you there was a rope about my waist and you'd stabbed poor Eugene."

Gothel hung her head. "All true but I let you save him and you also saw me die as I fell screaming to my death, didn't you?"

Rapunzel swallowed hard. "Yes. I saw the grave mound at the foot of the tower." She also remembered that she had found that she could still shed a tear for the woman Gothel had been when she was a child growing up.

Gothel pleaded earnestly. "Ray, I am not sure exactly what or who allowed me to come back. The Sisterhood thinks it was their powers and that it is my purpose to take possession of your daughter who will be the next light bearer for them. But they're wrong. I now remember things from before that time that I was under their power and I know now my purpose is to protect the two of you. Tonight I saved you and her but, Ray, there are terrible prices to pay before you and your daughter will be safe." She reached out a hand and touched Rapunzel's hand. Rapunzel stared at the hand but did not withdraw nor did she shout.

Mother Gothel withdrew her hand. "Ray, you must remember how I first helped you learn how to paint. You must remember the stories I read you and how together we explored the wonders to be found in story books after I taught you how to read. You must remember the nights I cared for you and rocked you in my arms when you were sick from the changes that your powers were bringing to your body." Tears streamed down her face. "But if you hate me so much, then please shout for the guards as in a world where one's own child hates you then there is no reason to live and it is far better to be dead." She waited fearfully, knowing the fate of millions hung on her adopted daughter's response.

Slowly the hatred and fear ebbed away from behind Rapunzel's eyes as the light of goodness in her took over and the young woman reached out her hand. "You don't know how much I want to believe you. You don't know how much I missed my mother who sang me to sleep at night or how much I was filled with sorrow when I thought you'd lied to me and always been evil."

Tears were streaming down Mother Gothel's cheeks and she reached out her hand. "I'm sorry for all the bad things I did and I love you, Ray." Their hands touched and then their fingers intertwined.

Ray sobbed. "Oh God. You don't know what that does to me to hear you call me that again. I love you too." Then they were in each other's arms and crying hard. Mother and adopted daughter were reunited in love again.

Finally Ray pulled back and dried her tears. "What is happening to me, Mother?"

"Ray, the wizard has induced the Yellow Death in you to force you to take the potion from the Flower of the Sun that your birth mother took which created you as the light bearer. Now he intends that your daughter be the light bearer so that he can steal her for his own evil purposes."

Ray's eyes went wide and she curled her arms protectively around her swollen belly. "Not my baby. I won't let him take my baby from me."

Mother Gothel swallowed. "I'm sorry, my dear Ray. But soon you won't have a choice. Right now I am holding the Yellow Death back but it is only a short respite and within a day or two you'll be unconscious again. The good news is that the wizard has a left-over Flower potion like the one that he used on your mother and it combined with the Sun Stone that your husband has gone to get from the dragon Drin could cure you but its use will make your daughter the new light bearer."

Ray frowned. "You keep referring to the light bearer and that I was one. What is the light bearer exactly?"

Her godmother sighed. "This will take some time to explain. You have heard of the Phoenix haven't you?"

Ray frowned. "They say it is a myth. Some call it the firebird and they say that it bursts into flame and rises from its own ashes."

"The Phoenix is not a myth. This bird which can fly between worlds is how the drop of light that became the Sun Flower got here. It was carried here from the sun by the bird as its egg and laid where I found it when I was a little girl of age ten several hundred years ago. I was the first to see it sprout and bloom and because I had found it my people charged me with caring for it and keeping it safe until the next stage of its existence was to occur which was hundreds of years later. So, now you know why I was so fanatical about keeping myself alive, and to keep the flower safe I couldn't let anyone know about it."

"Rumors soon spread of the existence of the Sun Flower and the crazy old woman who wouldn't share its powers for the good of all. No one ever mentioned that if the Sun Flower was discovered that it would not have survived the rough handling such as it received when your father had it uprooted at the wizard's orders. I had powers but I didn't stop them as I realized that all this had been foretold to me long ago by the wise man of our people and that it had to happen in just this way."

"How old are you?" Ray whispered. "How old really?"

Mother Gothel considered this before she replied. "I remember Roman soldiers as a child when they came through our village. I'm at least as old as the time since the fall of the Roman Empire."

"That old." Ray shook her head. "You must've seen everything."

"I've seen too much and a lot of it was not pretty. I watched some of the barbarian warriors before you met them at the tavern. Before they were bathed in your internal light they were murderers and thieves and afterwards they were like loving little children. The Flower's light can create goodness but it can also be perverted to great evil to create an empire of evil when the one who uses the light bearer is immune to its charms as everyone else would become helpless in its light. This is one reason I wanted to isolate you so that you could not be turned into a weapon by someone who had no concern for you like the wizard or the Sisterhood."

"Unfortunately I failed you as I was one who got turned by the Sisterhood which is a worldwide organization of witches and other supernatural beings. I wouldn't join them and give you to them; so they had me waylaid and raped on one of my trips to get paints for you. Then they tortured me and turned me into one of them but used me only to gather energy from you as you were too old by then to be converted to the next stage of the light bearer."

"Oh God, Mother, I never knew. I'm so sorry." Ray hugged her hard. "You didn't fail me. I failed you. I was so naïve, self-centered, and short sighted that I never realized that the changes you underwent then were not because you hated me but because you'd been hurt."

Mother Gothel began to cry. "Ray, I wanted to tell you but I couldn't as they controlled me with spells. When Eugene freed you I hurled myself from the tower wanting only to die but I was not allowed that luxury."

Ray drew back and wiped her eyes. "You said we had only a short time before I relapse. What do we do now?"

Mother Gothel sighed. "You must convince your parents and enlist their aid as I believe the wizard intends your child evil just as he would've done to you if I had not spirited you away to try and ensure your change."

"I had been told by a wise man that I should encourage your change into the next stage of the light bearer but I hesitated and on the day it was supposed to happen I loved you so much that I couldn't let you go and I nursed you through the sickness and prevented the change."

Rapunzel stared at her. "What would I have changed into?"

"The new Phoenix." Mother Gothel whispered.


	5. Chapter 5 The Wizard Strikes

The dragon lifted Eugene into the air by the neck. He studied his contorted face for a moment as Eugene struggled futilely to pry the dragon's fingers off his throat before he plucked a pair of spectacles off the table, put them on and peered closer. He ripped a sheet of paper off the cave wall, looked at it and then back at Eugene. "Oh, it's you alright." He declared. He read from the sheet. "Wanted. Flynn Rider. Thief and pompous self-centered braggart."

"Hey!" Protested Eugene.

"Yup. Pompous. It fits." The dragon declared. He continued reading. "Wanted for robbing banks, stealing the crown jewels, betraying his accomplices, cheating poorly at cards, and robbing over twenty pawnshops just like mine."

"Wait!" Eugene objected. "I was pardoned by the King."

The dragon grinned and showed his teeth. "But we aren't in his kingdom are we?"

"Uh, no." Eugene admitted as he watched those sharp incisors move up and down. He was getting sick to his stomach.

"Good. Glad we agree." Smoke came pouring out from between his jaws as he looked down at Maximus who had a hoof planted firmly on the snake's neck. "Do you have anything to say in his defense?"

Maximus considered and then slowly shook his head. "Hey." Eugene protested weakly. "I thought we were friends."

"Oh you are friends."" The dragon replied. "Only a true friend knows us as we really are."

Maximus sagely nodded his head.

The dragon looked closely at Eugene. "You're not dumb enough to come here on your own if you knew I ran a pawnshop. So somebody set you up, knowing how I feel about thieves. Was it this member of the Sisterhood?" He gestured at the snake.

"He just happened along." Eugene protested. "The wizard Murhurder sent us." Maximus nodded.

There was a spurt of flame and with a curse the dragon dropped Eugene who landed on his butt. "That son of a witch. He already has one. He stole a Sun Stone from me."

"Wait. He already had one?" Eugene protested as he rubbed his butt. "Then why did he send us here?"

The dragon looked at Maximus. "Is he always this slow on the uptake?" Maximus nodded vigorously.

The King was pacing furiously, gesturing as he walked in a circle beside Rapunzel's bed. His wife sat on the bed holding her daughter's hand with tears in her eyes which also reflected her joy at seeing her daughter awake. "I can't believe this." The King protested. "The wizard has been our friend for twenty years."

"Twenty five, dear." His wife reminded him.

"Twenty? Twenty five? What difference does it make?" He exclaimed as he threw his hands into the air. "He saved you. He saved our daughter."

Mother Gothel stood there in her Missrel form which she'd reassumed. Her ability to use magic which the Sisterhood had suppressed was returning, but so slowly. She could feel the tingling as her ability to do magic returned. Twenty years ago she had used it to walk unseen like a ghost through the castle and then to fly from the upstairs window with Ray in her arms. But even if it returned completely she would still be no match for the wizard.

"I'm sorry, your majesty." She said without glancing at the four soldiers who surrounded her. This was not going as well as she had hoped. "But my magic shows that he is the source of your daughter's illness just as I am sure he was the source of your wife's illness twenty years ago. He wants to recreate that birth here and then take your granddaughter and use her as the new light bearer."

"So you say." Growled the King. "Let's hear what the wizard has to say." He turned to one of his soldiers. "Get him."

"No, Daddy." Rapunsel protested. "Listen to her. She's telling the truth."

The King rounded on her. "Why should I believe anything she says? Elves have their own agendas and besides I can tell when you're lying. She's not even an elf, is she?"

Rapunsel sighed. "I'm sorry I'm such a poor liar. I guess it's the goodness still inside me. It's time, Mother." The elf swallowed and nodded

The Queen looked over in surprise at the elf. "Rapunzel, why are you calling an elf, Mother?"

"Because she's my godmother and raised me with love as if I was her own child in the tower in the woods to keep me out of the wizard's hands. Mother Gothel reveal yourself, please." She held out her hand.

Mother Gothel came forward and took Rapunzel's hand in her own. "Are you sure, Ray?"

Rapunzel smiled. "I'm sure."

Mother Gothel nodded and slowly let the disguise drop and stood there revealed for all to see.

"This? This is your source of slander? This is your kidnapper!" The King shouted. "Arrest her."

"Daddy!" Rapunzel protested. "She saved my life."

"It's too bad your life is going to endure just long enough to birth my slave." A commanding voice growled.

They all turned to see the wizard standing there with an orange glow surrounding him. A black dragon sat on his shoulder, grinning evilly.

"Murherder, my old friend, what is the meaning of this?" The King beseeched him. "We just caught the witch who kidnapped my daughter."

"And I thank you for that, _old friend._ " The wizard said with an evil smile. "Let's get this over with." He cracked his knuckles sending sparks flying.

"Stop him!" Yelled the Queen at the four soldiers while the King stood there frozen in disbelief. The soldiers pulled their swords and charged the wizard.

"Oh, please." The wizard scoffed. He gestured and four mice ran squeaking around the floor. With another gesture the King was thrown back against the wall and as he slumped he turned into a toad.

The wizard smiled at the surprised toad. "I like you much better this way. I'll see you get lots of yummy earthworms." The toad made barfing motions.

The wizard turned to the Queen and at a gesture she became a little yapping lap dog. "Suits you." The wizard said with an evil grin. He turned to Mother Gothel who was standing in front of Ray to shield her. "Now it's your turn and Rapunzel is next. I'll make her my slave."

Mother Gothel snarled. "You'll hurt her over my dead body."

"That can be arranged." He gestured again.

The spell struck Mother Gothel and she stiffened in pain as her features contorted. "Mother!" Rapunzel screamed.

Mother Gothel grimaced and then hurled her own spell at the surprised wizard, staggering him backwards. His return spell crashed into her, causing her to cry out in pain as her features began to flow like molten metal.

"You'll make a great cockroach." The wizard chortled.

"No." Rapunzel flopped across the bed and grabbed Mother Gothel's hand. A yellow glow sprang up between their fingers and Mother Gothel's features flowed back together again.

Rapunzel didn't know it but she still had a little bit of the Flower's power which she unknowingly activated under stress to heal those she loved. That was why she'd been able to save Eugene and she was now saving her godmother. It unfortunately could not prevent the Yellow Death from claiming her.

The wizard grinned maliciously as a flaming sword appeared in his hands. "I'll cut that bond right at the wrist." He declared. "You don't need hands to give birth, Princess."

"No!" Mother Gothel broke free of Rapunzel. "Don't hurt her. Kill me instead."

"Glad to oblige. You're dead, little witch." He swung back the sword as Mother Gothel braced for her second death.

"I think not." A voice roared and a large black-scaled hand plunged through the window behind the wizard and seized him by the waist. He was twisted around to face a very irate dragon.

"Drin." He gasped.

"Yes, Drin, you son of a witch!" The dragon roared. "You owe me for one Sun Stone. You're three years late with payment and with penalties and compounded interest you owe me." He paused as he calculated before he grinned at the cringing wizard. "A lot. Now what do you have to trade to me for your rotten little life?"

"I'll give you my little black dragon." The wizard offered. He'd tried to cast a spell but he found the dragon was too powerful and immune to his magic.

"Hey!" The little dragon shouted but he was ignored.

Eugene came in the door followed by Maximus. "I just broke into his lab!" He shouted. "Guess what? He has three vials of the Sun Flower potion." He waved a vial with a familiar glow of light in it. "This one's ours along with the Sun Stone." He showed the yellow stone gleaming on his ring finger.

The dragon grinned. "Here's the deal, snake breath. In exchange for your debt you forfeit every other magical item and potion you own to me. Agreed?" When the wizard didn't answer he shook him so hard that he rattled like a dry gourd filled with beads. "Agreed?"

"Agreed." The wizard gasped out as his eyes rolled in their sockets. "Now let me go."

"We're not done yet." The dragon roared. "The penalty for stealing from my pawn shop is ten years as a cooing little dove." He rammed a spell lozenge down the surprised wizard's throat. He let go and as the wizard fell he turned into a cooing grey dove.

He looked up in fear as his little black dragon flapped towards him. "Some friend." The little dragon roared. "I want dove for dinner." He licked his chops.

With a coo of terror the dove flapped out the window with the little black dragon in hot pursuit. "I like him better already." Drin declared. He gestured with a wand and everyone was restored to normal.

Eugene took Rapunzel's hand. "I got the Flower essence and the Sun Stone. I did good."

Rapunsel frowned. "With the wizard gone who can make the potion now?"

"Oops." Eugene looked around the room and every one of the humans shook their heads. "I guess I didn't do so good after all."

Mother Gothel said. "I can't but I think I know someone who can." She stepped forward to face the dragon who frowned at her from the window. "You're a dragon who does magic and so I suspect you know how to make the potion to defeat the Yellow Death, do you not?"

The dragon grinned. "That I do." He smiled hungrily over at the King. "How much in your treasury, kingy?" And the haggling began. When it was done Drin had his retirement fund.

As a result of course Rapunzel was saved and a month later gave birth to a healthy daughter with golden glowing hair. Mother Gothel was there to assist with the birth at Rapunzel's insistence.

Later Mother Gothel watched as Eugene leaned over Rapunzel's shoulder and the two made nonsense sounds to amuse the giggling baby whom they'd decided to call Schein. She sighed. Let them have their happiness for the moment as in five years she'd have to help Schein prepare for the change and the Sisterhood and the wizard were still out there, but for now let the happiness of the moment be sufficient.

She smiled as Ray gestured for her to come over and she joined them in cooing at the baby.

To be continued? Of course.


End file.
